Roberto da Costa first came to America as a teenager, when he and a group of international students had an interesting education laced with tragedy. It filled him with respect for the country's melting-pot nature. It led him to pursue citizenship. It is why, today, he is co-ordinating the defense against a flying volcano island that threatens to destroy Los Angeles.

Toni Ho was the daughter of two Timbetpali academics who moved to Seattle. Her father, Ho Yinsen, left them, moving back to Timbetpal and eventually dying to save Tony Stark. As the half-orphan lesbian daughter of immigrants, high school was socially difficult, but she persevered, showing a head for science and the drive which led her to complete three doctorates simultaneously at M.I.T., and construct the Iron Patriot armor - a fully-nonlethal suit of armor, whose forcefield she uses to hold back the flying island, buying her teammates more time.

Aikku Jokinen is a Norwegian national, bonded to a planet-defending weapons system by the actions of a being named Ex Nihlio. Today, she uses the power of the remains of that weapons system to sneak onto the island, incapacitate the guards, and discover the controllers - the Secret Empire. Aikku is apprehensive about modern America, but her girlfriend and teammates are here, and so she fights.

Doreen Green is a comp-sci student with dual American-Canadian citizenship and uncanny squirrel-like abilities. When the island launches a flotilla of drones, she and a crack cadre of flying squirrels spring into action to prevent casualties.

Robert Maverick is a decorated American general who hates everyone. When the science-terror group Advanced Idea Mechanics became a corporation, he watched it get bought out by da Costa and then restructured as the heroic Avengers Idea Mechanics. He watched A.I.M. be declared terrorists by S.H.I.E.L.D. during the Ulysses Cain incident, then save the life of the American president. To save face, A.I.M. became part of S.H.I.E.L.D. - the American Intelligence Mechanics. As their first act, they perfected a piece of S.H.I.E.L.D. tech that gave people Hulk powers, testing the first example on Maverick himself. For one hour out of every 36, he is the Red Hulk - and today, he uses his power to destroy the island and save the city.

Samuel Guthrie is a working-class Kentuckian from a family of rural coalminers. When tragedy claimed his father, he got a job to support his family. When he found he was a mutant, he joined a group dedicated to helping people, where he learned that the highest calling is for people of different backgrounds to work together against hate. Today, the man who taught him that is dead, and hate echoes across America, but he perseveres, because he believes in his fellow man.

Sam is telling this story as part of a video campaign, which Bobbie da Costa hopes to use to humanize A.I.M. to the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. Sam doubts the effectiveness of this plan, and of the A.I.M. team's name - the U.S.Avengers. Bobbie admits it looks clumsy, but he is proud of his country, which he shares with so many people. Despite the state of the present and need for the video campaign, he says, he still believes in the future - just as a future woman wearing the costume and title of Captain America appears before them to ask for assistance.

The Golden Skull is a plutophilic plunderer in a near-future America. He believes that nations and brotherhood are lies that people tell themselves. He believes that honest people hold to a simple rule: take what you want. And with the support of a few crack goons, he can make his worldview more real...

In a world beset by danger, the United States of America needs a team of heroes they can rely on. Welcome to... American Intelligence Mechanics! A.I.M. will dare any danger – no matter how awesome that danger might be – to save their nation from the wildest, weirdest threats of all! The most patriotic super-group ever is here to save the day. And they’ll do it all looking tried and true in the red, white & blue! Can you live without... the U.S.Avengers?

Trivia

The design of the Secret Empire costumes, though a continuation of previous red robe costume they've used, seems to be influenced by the designs worn by the Emperor's Royal Guard in "Star Wars", specifically in the headpiece design and their habit of holding long ornate staves.